Changes
by victimofmywoes
Summary: Naruto's new promotion requires him to move to Sapporo, and no, Sasuke is not happy with that. But there are only two things Sasuke can do: Accept it and grin and bear it.


_**Changes**_

 _ **Naruto's new promotion requires him to move to Sapporo, and no, Sasuke is not happy with that. But there are only two things Sasuke can do: Accept it and grin and bear it.**_

 _ **A/N: I have been working on this since before January and I can't believe I got this done. So it is long, yes, incredibly long (and that makes me wonder why I can't just break down stories into multiple chapters to simplify them), but I think I need to do this to finish a story I start. So pardon to all my readers who dislike long stories. Now, this story is primarily focusing on a couple that is extremely close. Yeah I know it is a recurring trait with my Naruto and Sasuke, but that's how I like to see them and I will. Hence, it contains a lot of cheesy moments, corny dialogue and stuff I would never say to my partner in real life. This has been half-beta'd (my partner ran away on me midway to read published literature). So, let me know what you think?**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Naruto and all its characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi.**_

* * *

"Tell me everything from the start," Kakashi picked up his delicate-looking gold-rimmed teacup and swirled the liquid inside it slowly before taking a sip. He glanced at Sasuke who sat across from him, one leg across the other, his shoulders straight, almost tensed at he stared at his teacup lost in thought.

He took a deep breath before changing his focus to his hands which he clasped loosely in his lap, his right hand swathed in cotton gauze. He bit his lip recalling the previous night and then looked at Kakashi who apart from being his sensei from high school, also happened to be his friend.

"I don't know where to start from," Sasuke finally said after a moment's struggle at finding the right words. He watched Kakashi take another leisurely sip of his tea. There was a soft rustling sound as Kakashi's shirt brushed against the white leather of the sofa when the elder man bent down to put his teacup on the table.

"Start with when he broke the news to you," Kakashi said, clasping his own hands together and gazing sharply at Sasuke.

Sasuke slid his eyes away from Kakashi and stared ahead at the wall from where a picture of the group Kakashi had mentored back in school stared back at him. They had been elementary kids back then – He, Naruto and Sakura. The picture brought forward the memories of that time. He had loathed Naruto with every fiber of his being and he knew the feeling had been mutual. Thinking about it now only showed how far they'd come given how they were both in a very rewarding relationship since the past eight years. Honestly, he couldn't even remember why he had disliked Naruto so much back then, but all was well now and there was nothing that Sasuke would change – except maybe the hurdle that stood right in front of him.

Kakashi cleared his throat pointedly, bringing Sasuke back to the present. "Last night when we were brushing our teeth before bed," Sasuke began and leaned forward bracing his weight on his elbows which were placed on his now uncrossed legs. The recollection brought a small smile on his face. "He really lacks tact, doesn't he?" he watched Kakashi wince and straighten. "Anyway, he spits and looks at me and says, 'Sasuke, my boss wants me to go to Sapporo to handle the new project there.'"

Kakashi raised his brows. "And what was your reaction?" he asked quietly.

Sasuke shrugged. "I nodded, flossed my teeth, washed my face, returned to the bedroom, fluffed my pillows, lay down and told him I thought it was good news."

"And is it?" Kakashi cleared his throat and looked at Sasuke who was looking back at him with a mildly blank expression. "Do you think it is good news?" Kakashi asked again when Sasuke did not show any inclination to answer.

There was another shrug. Sasuke's leather jacket whispered against the leather of the sofa, the zipper crinkling softly. "He's being promoted from section chief to the regional head in Hokkaido. I'm very glad for him, I am. And yet…"

"You're scared of him going away," Kakashi finished for him as he picked his teacup once again and sipped his rapidly cooling tea.

Sasuke looked at Kakashi sharply, his ego preventing him from showing his weakness. But what was the point of it? He'd come here to get some advice from his former sensei also because Kakashi understood him at a very elementary level. But that was not all. Kakashi's boyfriend Iruka also lived away in Kyoto, where he taught Japanese at a highly reputed university. So as someone who was in a long-distance relationship, Kakashi could provide all the guidance that Sasuke needed.

"I don't want him to go to Sapporo," Sasuke hated how needy and whiny his voice sounded, but he doubted his ability to live without someone who completed him in every sphere. Moreover, despite the danger of them being written off as a cliché, Naruto was his everything.

"I didn't want Iruka to go either," Kakashi's quiet voice made Sasuke look up from his cloud of gloom. "It was…it was very difficult to adjust. Because no matter how many video calls you make, it's never the same." He glanced at Sasuke's forlorn expression. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel bad," Kakashi tried to amend his statement but Sasuke shook his head silently, urging him to continue.

"You go to work and when the time comes to go home, the motivation is not there. Finally when you do come home to an empty apartment, every little thing that brings a smile to your face now because it reminds you of the time you spent together, only comes back to haunt you. Every single nick from the kitchen knife, every single problem is amplified solely because they're not there to soothe the hurt away or merely just listen to you and offer a simple solution. The funny thing is it's not because you're over dependent on them. It's just that, because they've always been there, their absence resonates more." Kakashi sighed, looking down at his hands. His stomach hurt with the memories those thoughts brought forward.

He looked up at Sasuke who was listening, lost in thought, undoubtedly finding a connection. "I don't really know the nitty gritty of your relationship with Naruto, but I do know the extent to which you love him. And I also know that in a perfect world, you wouldn't hesitate to leave everything aside and chase him to the ends of the earth and back. But this is reality and we both know you have little choice but to let him go."

Sasuke rubbed a hand across his face. "How'd you cope with it?" he asked.

"The mere thought that Iruka was out there in Kyoto going through the same motions helped me get through a lot. I know it's not most appropriate thing to tell you but the fact of the matter is, if nothing, the simple knowledge that they are feeling what you are feeling helps to cope with the distance, the absence, the staggering number of days and months that pass. Before you know it crossing off days to the next time you see each other becomes something to look forward to and you continue living."

Sasuke nodded, too lost in trying to imagine a house where Naruto wouldn't come back to every night and his heart ached.

"When does he leave?" Kakashi asked, trying to pick a more conversational tone to alleviate some of the sadness which hung heavy the room.

"After the holiday week for New Year," Sasuke said. The mere thought made him realize the fact that he only had a couple of weeks with his boyfriend before he went to Sapporo.

He looked up when Kakashi sucked in a sharp breath at his words. He knew Kakashi understood the gravity of the situation and his pain. "How is Naruto reacting to it?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke smiled slowly. "He's worried as hell. Last night he kept asking me if I was alright and this morning too at breakfast his eyes wouldn't leave me alone, like I was going to go ballistic and maybe shatter a cup or something. And then when he left for work, the look of adoration he wore on his face was three-fold the regular, so yeah, he's being very wary of me."

Kakashi glanced down at Sasuke's hand where cotton gauze was wrapped around the palm and almost laughed at the similarity of the symptoms he saw. "So whose cup did you break?" he asked, pointing to the hand, causing Sasuke to roll his eyes. His own eyes crinkled in mirth as he decided to venture a guess. "I bet it was your-"

"I broke his cup," Sasuke interrupted midway. "It was orange and old and ugly as fuck and a graduation present from Sakura," he finished in a softer tone.

Kakashi laughed causing Sasuke to stare at him for a second before joining in. "Whose cup did you break?" Sasuke asked.

"Mine and I didn't realize it had broken till the shards pierced my skin." He smiled softly at the memory and then shook his head. "Iruka lost it when he saw the scar. Ah, talking about it makes me nostalgic."

Sasuke nodded, a small smile playing around his lips too. He glanced at his watch and made to stand up. "Thank you, Kakashi…sensei," he added as an afterthought as he stood up and righted his jacket and shirt.

Kakashi surprised him by giving him a hug. "It's not the end of the world, Sasuke. You'll be fine, you know."

Sasuke hoped more than anything for those words to be true.

* * *

Kiba was throwing a hissy fit about the entire ordeal.

"But you're my best friend in the world!" he said for the umpteenth time, as if that explained the reason as to why going to Sapporo was a bad idea.

"You're not the only one, Kiba," Sai's sour voice brought everyone's attention to him. He took a sip of his water and glared at Kiba, who was still shaking his head in a daze and staring disappointedly at Naruto. "He's my best friend too."

Secretly, Naruto had been enjoying all the attention but now his friends were getting obnoxious. "Seriously you guys, stop. Why are you behaving like you're ten?" he asked.

Gaara decided to join in on the raging people's end. "What do you care? You're going away anyway," he shrugged his shoulders in a very sarcastic manner, causing Naruto to narrow his eyes disbelievingly at him and then sigh.

"Et tu, Gaara?" he asked exasperatedly. Gaara just averted his gaze and wore a small pout.

"I wish you just freeze in the snow," Kiba muttered angrily and then realized how mean that sounded as everyone glared at him in shock. He flailed his arms wildly, "I take that back! I take that back! You know I didn't mean that right, Naruto?"

"Leave the poor man alone," Shikamaru's bored tone caught everyone's attention and they all turned their heated glares from Kiba to him. He closed his eyes and put his hands behind his head like he was going to take a nap. "He's got more on his plate than he can handle guys! And you're adding to the guilt." He opened his eyes to frown at their friends' lack of sensitivity and immediately all complaints ceased. Shikamaru closed his eyes again and leaned back. "How has Sasuke taken the news?" he asked.

Naruto was surprised the question was asked now rather than in the beginning. They all knew Sasuke and his rather…strong attachment towards Naruto, so it came as a surprise to him that no one was worried about Sasuke's reaction to this life-altering event.

His shoulders slumped. "He seemed to be more mature than I thought he would be." he said and immediately his friends leaned forward.

"Uh-huh," Kiba muttered, horror painted all over his face. Even Shikamaru had his eyes wide open and appeared to be listening attentively. Gaara's otherwise expressionless mouth was opened in a small shocked 'O'. Neji's lilac eyes were opened wider than usual. They all knew Sasuke rather well, having been acquainted all their lives, first as classmates, then as Naruto's better half; so they knew this was the calm before the storm.

"Yeah, when I broke the news to him last night while we were brushing our teeth, he continued flossing without a word." Kiba, being one for dramatics, slapped a hand to cover his mouth that was hanging open. Someone said 'shit' and Naruto just stared dumbfounded at his friends, shocked at how well they all understood Sasuke. "Yeah, he even congratulated me and told me how well this could do for my career in the long term."

"Maybe he _is_ being mature about this," Neji started and someone gasped when all eyes turned to look at him incredulously. He rolled his eyes at everyone and then turned to regard Naruto. "C'mon Naruto, you know him better than that," he argued.

Naruto ran a hand through his spiky blond hair. "I don't know, Neji. No matter what has happened in our lives, Sasuke has always taken it harder than most people. He won't show it but I know that this is not going to go down that easily. I mean we've barely lived apart from each other and for me to go all the way to Sapporo…" he trailed off and several heads nodded in agreement.

"I agree with Naruto," Kiba piped in, causing everyone to glare at him. Instantly he snapped his mouth shut and turned to Naruto.

"It's not the end of the world, Naruto. He'll be fine," Gaara said with finality in his voice that brooked no arguments. "In fact, you'll both be fine."

Naruto wanted to believe those words so badly, but deep inside he knew this was not as easy as it sounded. Because it wasn't just Sasuke he was worried about, this time he was also worried about himself.

* * *

Naruto came home to an empty apartment. He turned on the living room lights and walked in the direction of the bedroom. Generally if Sasuke was running late at work, he would send a message to inform Naruto. But having received no message, he assumed Sasuke was in the house. He walked into the bedroom and upon finding the lights off, frowned heavily. He called out Sasuke's name in the dead of the house and heard cursing and then a clang as something fell in the bathroom. And that's when Naruto saw the bathroom light.

Immediately he moved towards the bathroom and turned the knob, his frown deepening when the door seemed to be locked. "Sasuke?" he called, knocking on the door in utter panic and confusion.

"I'll be out in a minute," Sasuke called back and winced at the blood that was flowing in the basin, the running water doing nothing to stop the bleeding. He had decided to change his bandage when the wound had opened up while he was getting out of the car. It didn't hurt as such, but the fact that it wouldn't stop bleeding was becoming the reason for Sasuke's distress, simply because Naruto could not stand the sight of blood, _especially_ Sasuke's blood. Closing the tap he pulled out a couple of tissues and pressed them to the wound, wincing slightly when the pressure caused the hurt to ache. He had to stop acting recklessly on his emotions.

Naruto's voice had a scared shiver to it that made Sasuke's heart ache when he called out Sasuke's name again. Sasuke knew how much Naruto had been on eggshells around him ever since he'd broken the news the previous night and every little action would just be magnified now that they were going to be separated.

He felt guilty for his lack of interest. Yes he had congratulated his boyfriend but there was still scope to ask so much more. Things Sasuke was supposed to have asked because it was his place to ask, because it signified the level of interest he took in his partner's work, but he hadn't done any of it. Yes Naruto had filled him on the details about the project and his status, but there was more to it than that – particularly the fact that he,Sasuke, should have been the one to initiate the conversation about details. And still there was so much more to ask and learn. It wasn't like he'd never been to Sapporo to know about the place, having gone there on the occasion of their magnificent Snow Festival in February with Naruto. Yes Sapporo was a city in its own right, but Hokkaido was cold – insanely so. That had caused him incessant worry amongst other things. The worry was so instinctive because his love for Naruto was that deep.

And somewhere this worry was the reason he was holding himself back. The mere fact that if he were to start questioning Naruto about all of these things, Naruto would know how worried Sasuke truly was. And that would cause him to reconsider, maybe to the point of wanting to turn down this opportunity solely because it worried Sasuke and that Sasuke did not want. Sasuke did not want his love to become an obstacle in Naruto's career, and like Kakashi said, he would have thrown away everything and followed Naruto to the ends of the earth in a perfect world.

He leaned his head against the glass and closed his eyes for a second before pulling away the tissue and quickly spraying some medicine on his cut and bandaging it. If Naruto asked how he had cut himself, he could simply lie and feed him some story. He had to be strong and mature here – for himself, for Naruto.

Finally he emerged from the bathroom after managing to somewhat sloppily tie the bandage around his hand. Moving the muscles of his palm caused some minor irritation but it wasn't anything that he couldn't handle. What he couldn't handle was the worry etched into every feature on that tanned face, from the clouded eyes, to the stormy eyebrows and the bared teeth. Sasuke watched Naruto's eyes run down his body checking for cuts and bruises before landing on his hands. Subconsciously, Sasuke hid his injured hand in his trouser pocket.

"Is everything alright?" Naruto watched Sasuke closely, more on his guard than ever.

Sasuke smiled in an attempt to be as casual and calm as he could. "Yeah, sorry, I just had an upset stomach," he scrunched his nose for effect and at once Naruto's worry dissipated.

"Feel better now?" he asked patting Sasuke's shoulder and Sasuke nodded. They moved out of the bedroom and into the kitchen area as Naruto started to undo the cuff buttons of his work shirt and roll up his sleeves. "I'm going to start on the dinner preparations. Can you eat?" When Sasuke nodded again, he asked, "Just do me a favor and put the chicken to thaw, please?"

"Sure," Sasuke said as he walked to the refrigerator. He was in the process of pulling out the bag of chicken when his bandaged hand was grasped in tanned hands and Naruto's concerned eyes were boring into his.

"I _knew_ you were hiding something! What happened?" he asked, looking into Sasuke's eyes imploringly.

 _How was he supposed to live so far away from this man? How could he just be cool and separate himself from the love, the concern this man exuded. God, he loved Naruto so much._

Sasuke's heart beat heavily in his chest at Naruto's expression. He managed a smile. "You worry too much, idiot. I just scraped my hand against the corner of the window at work today."

Naruto did not look utterly convinced but decided to let it go when Sasuke refused to elaborate further. Instead, he took the hand gently in both of his and turned it palm up, pressing a kiss near the bandage where Sasuke could feel it."Be more careful," he scolded softly and Sasuke knew it wasn't just a passing statement. There was more depth to it than anything Sasuke could have imagined and he wished his throat wouldn't close up and his eyes wouldn't tear up. He'd promised himself to be stronger for both of them. But how could he when every single thing Naruto did meant so much more?

He stared into blue eyes, lost in the depth and the intensity of them, drawing into their warmth while the familiar butterflies spread in his stomach, that jolt behind his navel as his heart picked up speed. They kissed slowly, Naruto inviting Sasuke's tongue out to play and Sasuke readily accepting the invitation. They sucked on each other's tongues playfully just drawing out their pleasure. The kiss went beyond sexual. It was purely out of all the emotions they had yet to put into words for the others.

"Congratulations Naruto, I mean it." Sasuke whispered before claiming Naruto's lips again in another kiss, pouring all his happiness into that one gesture.

He smiled when he felt Naruto's lips tilting up in a small smile. "Thank you, Sasuke."

* * *

"I think it's a great thing that Naruto is moving because of work," Itachi swirled his fork over his spaghetti in marinara sauce before taking a bite and regarding Sasuke with a cool look.

Lunches on Tuesday with Itachi were a usual custom given how Itachi made it a point to keep it free from all appointment with his patients who required Eastern medical treatment and Sasuke was careful enough to not set client meetings. As section chief, it would get a little difficult sometimes, but they more or less did it every week.

Sasuke just casually moved a piece of broccoli around his plate and then speared a cherry tomato with his fork. "Why would you say that?" he asked, trying to keep the annoyance he felt at bay.

Honestly, he felt…betrayed. Somewhere he was expecting Itachi to sympathize with him just because everyone was, and now that he was saying stuff like this, it hurt more than he expected.

"Because it's a good opportunity to start being independent, Sasuke," Itachi said like it was the most obvious thing. He casually picked up a slice of garlic bread and bit into it, all the while regarding Sasuke who seemed to be fuming.

"But I _am_ independent!" Sasuke's voice rose sharply, causing Itachi to take a pause from one of his favorite lunches.

"Like hell you are," Itachi spoke quietly but his voice was sharp, making sure that Sasuke knew just how serious he was. "You've both been together since college, only staying apart when it was either completely necessary or when one of you went home without the other, and for how many days – give or take a week. And so you've come to rely on him to the point of not being able to handle things without him," Itachi said.

Sasuke stared at his elder brother like he had thrown boulders at him rather than words. He just stared open-mouthed at his brother who was wiping his mouth with a napkin. "That's not true," he said.

Itachi didn't reply, knowing very well how this would escalate to an argument deemed inappropriate for a restaurant; and so he nodded. "Tell me Sasuke, what's with the bandage on your hand?" he speared a piece of chicken and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly as he gazed at his brother who seemed to be contemplating the answer.

Sasuke looked guiltily down at his palm which was still wrapped up and glanced at his brother. "This...this happened at work. I wasn't paying attention," he lied or _tried to lie_ smoothly.

Itachi shot him a smirk that said he knew what the cause was, but Sasuke made a meticulous effort to not rise to the bait. Finally, Itachi shrugged and went back to his meal.

"I'm not saying that this is an excellent idea or I'm very glad this happened." Itachi said after a moment as he polished off the slice of garlic bread and dived for another. "I'm just saying that this will be a good lesson for the both of you to grow up a bit."

"But that's not what this is about! It's not a matter of days Itachi. I am not going to live with Naruto for _months_ at end!" Sasuke waved his fork unconsciously, trying to get his point across. "This is not just about dependency alone. This is about companionship and coming home to the one person who is your _family_ , " he started at Itachi frantically, almost desperate to make him understand. "Imagine having to live without your wife and child," he spoke quietly, almost whispered the words to Itachi, who was in the process of taking another bite of his spaghetti.

Itachi put down his fork and glared at Sasuke who smirked at his brother's expression. "What you felt just now is what I have been feeling since the past two days, Itachi," he said.

Itachi tried to neutralize his expression as he picked his fork again, but his insides felt unsettled, as against his will, his treacherous mind conjured images of a life that did not include his wife or their newborn child. "It's different with you two," he said, "You don't have a child."

Sasuke threw his napkin on the table in defeat. "You know what, I'm sorry I thought you would understand. I can't do this anymore. I'm leaving." He stood up but Itachi grabbed his wrist and forced him to sit back down.

"I'm sorry I said all that," Itachi spoke after a pause, staring at his plate, blinking hard. "I've never meant ill of you and Naruto and never have I thought bad about your relationship. It's just that the level of intimacy you two share doesn't seem _healthy_ sometimes."

Sasuke took Itachi's hand in his. "I understand your concern, but Itachi, isn't that the same with everyone? Weren't you upset when I asked you to imagine living away from your family? At the end of the day these people are all we need because they're family," he said softly and Itachi nodded fervently. "You were like this from merely imagining the situation, I'm going to have to live that nightmare," he sighed softly, running a hand through his hair.

"How long will he be gone?" Itachi asked turning back to his food when Sasuke released his hand.

Sasuke shrugged. "For as long as the project goes on. Apparently he's the best they've got on their Shibuya team so he has to be there. Naruto wasn't very specific with the time frame, but he did say it would take somewhere between six months to a year. But for all I know, it could be more." His hand shook as he brought it down to the table to touch a drop of water that had fallen there.

"Couldn't Naruto decline?" Itachi asked. "I mean he knows how you are and…"

Sasuke stared at him like he'd been slapped. "And turn down a promotion like this? He did not sign up to be in a relationship with a weakling who cannot take separation. He knows how difficult this is going to be, but more than anything he's scared I might snap and have a nervous breakdown or something. Last night I finally told him off about tiptoeing around me because I am tired of seeing him on his guard as if expecting me to throw a tantrum. I respect his career and his choices. Making him turn down this chance or watch him refuse this opportunity solely because of the distance is just tying him in a relationship that drags him down. And that is something I absolutely refuse to do."

"You've matured, Sasuke," Itachi's voice had a thread of pride in it which Sasuke almost missed in the heat of the moment.

"Did you just compliment me?" he asked, staring at his brother incredulously who was busy finishing the food on his plate. Getting praised from Itachi was such a rare occurrence that Sasuke had given up on it.

"Yes and for that very reason I think you're going to be fine," with that he popped the last bit of the garlic bread in his mouth and chewed thoroughly, enjoying the last bite of his meal. When he was done, he watched Sasuke like he was an imbecile. "Well, shall we go now?" he asked, when Sasuke continued staring at him stupidly.

Sasuke nodded and stood up to grab his suit jacket which was hanging behind his chair. "Oh and Sasuke?" he turned to look at his elder brother to listen to what his brother had to say.

Itachi flicked him on the forehead like he'd done a million times since they were kids. "Get the bill," he said and sauntered out of the restaurant without a backward glance, leaving Sasuke standing there fuming with rage till finally he shook his head and proceeded to the cash register to pay for the meal.

* * *

"You sure you don't want to eat out tonight?" Sasuke asked, holding his phone with one hand while he searched for his car key fob with the other. Locating it in the right pocket of his black suit trousers, he pulled it out and unlocked his car.

"Yeah, I'm craving the cha-han you make," Naruto said, switching his phone from one ear to the other as he stood up to pick his laptop bag and jacket as he exited from work. It was a Wednesday, a day they generally chose to ate out for no particular reason, but because tonight Naruto wasn't in the mood to eat at Kozue, their preferred restaurant, he called Sasuke.

"I'm going to pick up the ingredients at the convenience store. Anything specific you want me to pick up on the way?" Sasuke asked closing the back door of the car shut after putting his bags there.

Naruto smiled. "Some beer and my favorite Pino ice-cream would be brilliant," he said.

"Eating ice-cream late at night at this age is going to kill you," Sasuke said good-naturedly, sliding into the driver's seat of his black Honda Accord and slamming the door shut. He loosened his tie, smiling when he heard Naruto laugh on the phone.

"Speak for yourself Sasuke. I have yet to become an uncle." He moved towards the elevators and pressed the button for the underground parking.

"Yes, yes. Now that Kiyoshi is born and I've become an uncle you can go ahead and run that mouth on me right, Uzumaki? Wait till I kick your ass to old age," he said sliding across his seatbelt and clicking it in place.

"Wouldn't I like that? Growing old with you would be a pleasure," Naruto said sighing softly. He looked up from where he was staring at the wooden walls of the office when the elevator pinged on his floor. "The elevator is here. Drive home safely Sasuke. I'll see you there." He hung up when Sasuke returned the words to him and stepped into the elevator.

Just as he was about to close the door, Captain Yamato from the Production department stepped in. Apparently Yamato handled every project for their team like a baseball match with pep talk and strategies, so his team had given him the label. Pretty soon word had spread and now everyone referred to him as Captain Yamato.

Captain Yamato looked up from his phone where he was busy typing something and smiled apologetically at Naruto before pressing the button for the second floor. Naruto watched him put away his phone. They were close, well as close as a section chief and the head of the production department could get. "I heard about your promotion," Yamato began, smiling at Naruto with genuine happiness. "Regional chief sounds pretty awesome."

Naruto scratched his head out of embarrassment. He respected Captain Yamato a lot not just because he handled the production floor well, but because he was open and approachable to all his team members. Naruto wanted to be a boss like that. It wasn't like his subordinates hated him, but they chose to maintain that gap between him and themselves purely because of the difference in their respective positions. But Yamato's team treated him like a father.

"Thanks," he said. "You're going home early tonight," he remarked. He remembered the elder man generally working till late in his office.

"Ah yes, the wife has one of her monthly checkups today," he said.

"Good luck with that," Naruto murmured softly, still smiling at the man.

Yamato smiled back. "I know the pregnancy is coming along well, but these visits make me a little nervous," he sighed and straightened his shoulders, reaching behind to rub at his nape. "How's your moving coming along? Sapporo is a rather cold place," Yamato said, looking up at the numbers of floors. So far the elevator had only reached the twenty-fourth floor.

"And to think I'm going there in January. Truth be told, I'm scared about freezing to death." They laughed at the joke and then the elevator pinged at the twentieth floor as Tenten from the testing design department got on.

"Good evening," she greeted the two men as she bowed low to show her respect. Both men nodded and acknowledged the greeting. She turned to Naruto and smiled. "I heard from Neji-san about your promotion, Uzumaki-san. Congratulations," she said bowing again.

Naruto murmured his thanks and she turned forward towards the doors of the elevator as they closed, pressing the button for the fifth floor. Naruto knew her through Neji and on the various occasions they'd met. She was Neji's girlfriend of a year and a half. Though Naruto had barely spoken to her on those social occasions, he did acknowledge her as a hard-working subordinate.

They rode in silence. Naruto was glad Tenten didn't ask or make any comment about Sasuke. His personal life wasn't something that was so open to people in his workplace and he preferred to keep it that way.

Finally they reached the fifth floor. Tenten smiled and bowed at them again before she got off. Yamato pulled out his phone and began checking his Twitter for the rest of the ride. Naruto stared ahead at the numbers of the elevator thinking about nothing in particular. When the bell dinged at the second floor, Yamato turned off his iPhone and smiled at Naruto, waving before he got off. Naruto waved back and pulled his bag higher on his shoulder as the doors closed. His stomach growled loudly. He chuckled, thinking about the possible embarrassment that would have ensued were it to growl two minutes ago when Yamato was still in the elevator.

He thought about the dinner Sasuke would be in the process of preparing by the time he reached home and he smiled goofily. The dinner wasn't one of his favorites per se; it was the way Sasuke cooked it that made it so appealing.

Watching Sasuke chop vegetables and chicken as sweet corn boiled in the microwave and then peel prawns to add to the dish with a precision, only to throw in a couple of spoons of soy sauce and taste the mix before adding the fragrant Thai rice to it was a sight to behold. He looked like he was having so much fun. But that wasn't all. He loved the smiles Sasuke threw his way as he got a little conscious when he caught Naruto watching him, or those several occasions when his hair would hang low on his brow, a bobby pin almost coming undone as he called out to Naruto to set it straight because his hands were busy and the food was beginning to burn were extremely precious memories to Naruto.

He knew they weren't going to be separated forever. But that didn't mean that he wouldn't miss the sight of Sasuke cooking something for him as his heart soared with love and gratitude for a man who loved him just as much; if not more. His phone buzzed in his pocket as he reached his car. He pulled out his phone and checked the message Sasuke had sent him. " _Hurry up and tell me what I've forgotten_ ," the message read. He looked at the picture attached which just contained the contents of the grocery shopping Sasuke had done.

He laughed when he saw what the missing thing was. "Thai rice. You really are turning into an uncle Sasuke," he typed back and laughed as he unlocked his car. Sasuke could forget the main ingredient of their dinner but he wouldn't forget what Naruto asked him to get.

" _Thanks. You could have been sweet about this, you know._ " Sasuke's reply had him laughing softly as he started his car.

 _I love you Sasuke, I love you so much!_

* * *

Sasuke was putting the sweet corn in a bowl to microwave when Naruto walked in the apartment. He smiled and came over to lean against the kitchen sink just to watch Sasuke place the bowl in the microwave and set the timer. Sasuke had shed his jacket and his tie. The sleeves of his work shirt were rolled up till his elbows and when he turned Naruto caught a glimpse of those charming black bobby pins in his jet black hair which he used only when he was cooking. He turned towards Naruto just as Naruto lunged at him to hug him. In the process, Sasuke's shoulder bumped into Naruto's nose and Naruto's head bumped into Sasuke's chin.

"Ow fuck," Naruto howled holding his nose as his eyes began to water. He glanced at Sasuke who had a pained expression on his face with his tongue slightly out.

"Crap I bit my tongue," Sasuke said immediately pushing his tongue inside to let the saliva heal it.

They both looked at each other. One nursing his nose, one rubbing a sore spot on his chin with his tongue rolled in his mouth as if recoiling in pain.

Naruto smirked first and then Sasuke followed. A second later they were both laughing and this time they were hugging each other tightly. "Is your nose still irritating you?" Sasuke asked his mouth close to Naruto's ear. He turned and placed a tiny peck on the bridge of Naruto's nose as Naruto circled his arms around him. "Here now it'll be alright," he said. Naruto shook his head and sniffed a couple of times, clearing the weird sensation in his head and laughed.

"What about you? Well given how you're not stuttering, I think it's fine. But anyway, let me check," he said, pulling down Sasuke's chin to make him open his mouth. Sasuke complied and stuck out his tongue as Naruto checked for severe damage or bleeding. He left Sasuke's chin and pulled his face closer to kiss him and tangle their tongues together. "Here's how you kiss a hurt and make it go away," he said.

Sasuke grabbed Naruto's ass and squeezed it before letting him go. "Thanks for the tip, mister genius. Will keep that in mind for the next time," he said returning to his task of making the fried rice.

Naruto hugged him from behind and placed his chin on his shoulder. "Alright. How's the hand?" he asked, kissing the side of Sasuke's neck. Sasuke groaned and tried to push his boyfriend off of him.

"All healed," he said and lifted his healed palm for Naruto's inspection, frowning slightly when Naruto gave it a quick kiss but continued standing there, latching onto Sasuke's waist. "Move, Naruto," Sasuke said reluctantly at last, giving Naruto a half-hearted shove, trying to get him to move.

"Let me stay like this a little longer," he said sulkily and even though Sasuke knew it wasn't a very profound thing, his heart skipped a beat. He wound his arms around the tanned arms and turned his head to kiss Naruto's cheek.

"Just for a little while," he said and stayed that way till the ding from the microwave jarred them out of them special moment, that and the fact that Naruto's stomach had chosen that moment to growl loudly.

"Okay, now go freshen up. I really have to make dinner," Sasuke said petting Naruto's hungry tummy and pushing him away a little gently.

Naruto turned and contrary to Sasuke's expectations, just pulled off his tie and pocketed it. Then he took a seat on the counter beside the stove to watch Sasuke cook. Since he usually occupied one of the dining chairs to observe his partner, the gesture caught Sasuke by surprise. He raised his eyebrows as he removed the spring onions from their plastic bag. "You're using up my cooking space," he commented drolly, one of the kitchen knives in his hand.

"And getting the best view," Naruto smirked when Sasuke rolled his eyes as he placed the spring onions beside the chopping board. "How much time will it take?" Naruto asked when his stomach let out another hungry lurch.

"Twenty minutes," Sasuke said without looking up from his task. Methodically, he chopped the leaves into even lengths and then went to work on the onion, cutting into neat squares. "Since you're not doing anything, just make yourself a little useful and hand me the mushrooms," he said sniffing loudly because of the onions and looked at Naruto. He rolled his eyes at the look of adoration he found there and gestured to the grocery bag.

Dutifully Naruto pulled out the plastic box of mushroom and handed it to Sasuke. Then he proceeded to check out the other contents of the bag, pulling out a carton of eggs and the box of prawns. With some disappointment he saw the prawns were already peeled. "Do you want me to beat the eggs for you?" he asked.

Sasuke looked at him for a second like he'd spoken in another language and then nodded and pointed to a transparent glass bowl that sat on one of the racks. "That would be a big help. Just do them in one direction, okay?"

Naruto nodded and hopped off the counter to get the bowl. He opened the carton and pulled out two eggs, brows furrowing when Sasuke rolled his eyes at him and took out one more. "I use three eggs," he said causing Naruto to look heavenward and wonder why he'd decided to help. Sasuke could be unbearably anal when it came to cooking. He made a face at Sasuke's back when Sasuke turned away to wash the mushrooms. He broke the shell with ease and began beating the eggs in a counterclockwise movement.

A minute later Sasuke's hand on his arm stopped him. "We're not baking a cake here, Naruto," he admonished and Naruto's nostrils flared in impatience. This is why he was better off just watching Sasuke the perfectionist cook his meal.

"Yeah okay," he said placing the bowl on the counter and perching on top of the counter again. This time he was determined to stick to his favorite job – stare at Sasuke.

Sasuke continued working in silence as Naruto began humming a tune under his breath. "I haven't heard you hum that tune before," Sasuke exclaimed as he pulled out a pan and began cooking the peeled prawns.

Naruto smiled in wonder at how observant Sasuke was. "Picked this up from that chocolate CM that was playing yesterday," he said, idly picking up the red and white box of Pino ice-cream and staring at it. Sasuke hummed in acknowledgement.

"How was work today?" Naruto asked as he once again got off the counter to place the ice-cream in the freezer. Then he pulled out the six-pack of beer out of the grocery bag and proceeded to stash it in the fridge as well.

Sasuke shrugged. "The same as usual," he said as he turned the heat low on the prawns and proceeded to check the bowl where the chicken thigh was marinating in yakitori sauce. It still had a few minutes to go, so he decided to work on the wok. He turned up the gas under the wok and continued, "Suigetsu broke the printer."

" _Wow_! How many times has it been now?" Naruto exclaimed as he went to peer at the rice cooker to check on the time remaining for the Thai rice to be done. It said five minutes so he pulled a face and opened a cardboard box of chips he found near the rice cooker. He pulled a face at the shrimp flavored chips but continued munching on a couple of chips till Sasuke snatched the box from him.

"Stop ruining your appetite by eating junk!" he scolded the blond haired man and placed the box in a cupboard overhead. Naruto stuck out his tongue at him and he frowned. "Just who is it that I'm making cha-han for?" he asked agitatedly, frowning heavily at Naruto's antics.

"Fine, _fine_ ," Naruto said as he brushed his hands together and stuck them in his trouser pockets. He stared at the prawns for a second and then poked them with a skillet. "Oi Sasuke, I think these are done."

Sasuke who was in the process of adding all the vegetables to the wok after the oil had heated frowned and turned off the stove under the prawns. "That's it. Naruto get out of the kitchen, _now_ . I can't concentrate with you hovering over everything and eating my brain cells."

Naruto feigned a hurt expression and covered his heart with his hand. "Oh how you wound me Sasuke," he crooned.

Sasuke made the most disgusting face he could muster causing Naruto to throw up his hands in defeat. "Fine, I'll just sit here and not say a peep till you're done with dinner," he said. When Sasuke narrowed his eyes at him, he put a finger over his lips and perched atop the counter again. "Not a peep," he said.

Sasuke continued adding the cooked prawns and quickly chopped the marinated chicken and threw it in the wok, tossing them around as he waited for the chicken to be cooked. He added the eggs Naruto had dutifully beaten to the mix and stirred it around cooking it expertly. The rice cooker began beeping then and he glanced at Naruto who still had a finger to his lips and was watching Sasuke go about his business, the smell of food getting to him and making his stomach grumble. "Fetch the rice," he ordered and immediately Naruto went to the rice cooker.

He inhaled deeply when he opened the lid. "This smells amazing," he said forgetting his promise to stay quiet as he grabbed a pair of mittens and pulled the bowl of rice from the cooker and then handed it to Sasuke. Sasuke grabbed a kitchen towel and took the bowl from him to dump the rice in the wok.

Then he proceeded to work on the miso soup. Meanwhile, Naruto got out some pickles in a bowl and began setting the table, laying out chopsticks and table mats while Sasuke divided the cha-han into two bowls and brought it over. "The soup will be done in a minute," he said as he handed the bowls of steaming rice to Naruto.

Two minutes later, Sasuke carried the tray with bowls of miso soup over to the dining table and they sat down to eat. Naruto couldn't have said his thanks faster as he picked up the bowl of rice and took a bite of it. "This is delicious!" he mused between chewing and smiling at Sasuke who was in the process of saying his thanks before he picked up the chopsticks and stirred his soup.

Sasuke, a creature of habit, stirred the soup and took a small sip of it before he picked up the bowl of rice. "Why do you do that?" Naruto asked as he scooped out a piece of tofu from his soup and popped it into his mouth grimacing when the heat spread all over the inside of his mouth.

"Do what?" Sasuke asked once he was done chewing a bite of rice.

"Take a sip of the soup before eating your rice," Naruto said.

Sasuke frowned. "It's not for any specific reason. It's just a habit is all, I guess." He looked at Naruto for a moment who was nodding his head absentmindedly since he was too busy gobbling the rice.

"Captain Yamato's wife is pregnant," Naruto stated offhandedly as he made to grab for a piece of the pickled radish and popped it into his mouth.

"Uh-huh," Sasuke made a noncommittal sound and proceeded to eat his rice.

"Also," Naruto's tone had an edge to it that stopped Sasuke from reaching for his soup. He put down his bowl of rice and chopsticks and turned his attention to Naruto who had his chopsticks in his mouth, uncertainty painted all over his face. "Never mind, it's not that important."

Sasuke folded his arms and leaned back on his chair fixing Naruto with his sternest stare without saying a word. He watched Naruto stare at anything and everything but him for a minute till finally Naruto huffed and rolled his eyes in defeat.

"I looked up apartments in Sapporo on my lunch break today," he said softly.

The jerk that Sasuke felt in his chest was unsettling. He understood Naruto's hesitancy and in a way he was glad Naruto hadn't dropped this on him like he had the transfer. Well, the transfer itself had been the biggest thing but still Sasuke felt the unpleasantness of the conversation sift through his veins. There was a sudden…finality to things now. Like the fact that searching for an apartment marked the end of their lives together in a way.

 _How much courage would it have taken Naruto to talk about this? How much preparation would have gone into phrasing it correctly before he could tell me? How much would Naruto have worried about my responses? How many scenarios would he have imagined? How nervous is he right now? Was he thinking about this all throughout the time I was cooking? Has he found the right apartment?_

A million thoughts raced through his head while his heart lurched painfully in his chest. His throat threatened to clog up but he had to say something now. Naruto was watching him with a wary expression, the thumbs of those tanned hands playing nervously with the end of the chopsticks laid out in front of them.

"I see," Sasuke finally managed and picked up his chopsticks with shaky hands to resume eating. He cleared his throat and asked, "Did you find…did you find the right apartment?"

Naruto did not pick up his chopsticks, continuing instead to thumb one with his right hand. "There were several which were close to the station and the rent wasn't that high, but I think it's best if I take your opinion on it too, if you want to, that is," he said.

Sasuke nodded despite the fact that he didn't want to do it. Looking up apartments for Naruto would bring him an insurmountable amount of pain – one he didn't want to experience so soon. But at the same time he felt a sliver of happiness at the fact that Naruto would want his opinion on selecting an apartment. He shoved a lump of rice into his mouth to avoid speaking giving how he knew he was incapable of saying anything that moment, the food beginning to taste like ash in his mouth.

Naruto cleared his throat and picked up his chopsticks. They ate in silence for a while. Sasuke could see the regret this conversation had brought on Naruto's face. Even if he wanted to comfort Naruto and put the man out of his misery, he found himself incapable of offering any help particularly because he himself was feeling the same. He just needed a moment to compose himself, to stop feeling the hurt that rose each time Naruto mentioned Sapporo. He just needed to…let it go.

"Would you like some ice-cream?" Naruto asked suddenly jolting him out of his reverie. He could only stare for a second at Naruto before what Naruto had spoken registered, along with the almost pleading look Naruto wore on his face.

This wasn't Naruto offering him ice-cream. This was Naruto trying to bring the normalcy back in between them. Despite the currents of inner turmoil that threatened to plunge him under, Sasuke managed to smile. One of these days he was going to beat Naruto and be the one to take that first step. He had to or he would never learn. "Sure," he said.

Naruto smiled, his eyes lighting up with the smile blooming across his face. "I'll be right back," he said as he almost hopped towards the kitchen to fetch the box of ice-cream and some plates and forks.

Sasuke watched him prance around the kitchen collecting everything, a fond smile playing around his thin lips. Naruto was putting two pieces of chocolate-coated vanilla ice-cream into two small square plates and setting small forks alongside them to eat. Once done, he put the box of ice-cream back in the freezer, picked up the plates and walked back to the table.

"Thank you for the wait," he said sounding like a waiter as he presented the plate in front of Sasuke with a grand gesture. Sasuke chuckled and nothing could have stopped him from pulling Naruto's blue tie to pull him down and kiss him.

Naruto broke the kiss quickly, putting his own plate of ice-cream down on the table to resume kissing. Sasuke marveled in how, even now, after eight years of being together, he could still feel that slight bit of nervousness when his lips touched Naruto's. Beneath his, Naruto's mouth opened to deepen the kiss, his teeth taking possession of Sasuke's lower lip to pull him closer. Sasuke's tongue darted out to taste that potent flavor that was associated with Naruto. His tongue plunged into Naruto's mouth causing the blond man to moan against his mouth setting Sasuke on fire.

Sasuke's hand snaked up to Naruto's shoulders and underneath the lapels to push the dark blazer away. The thud it made as it hit the floor was probably because Naruto's phone was in one of the pockets but Sasuke didn't care. He wanted to touch the heat, to revel in the warmth that dark skin radiated; he wanted to explore every inch of the skin he'd explored so many times. He wanted to hold him and never let him go.

The magic ended when Naruto broke the kiss a second time. There was a smirk playing around his mouth when he said, "The ice-cream is going to melt."

Sasuke matched his smirk with one of his own. "You know we can remedy that," he said, picking up a piece of the ice-cream and popping it into his mouth. Not one for sweet things, he winced at the taste only to have Naruto grab him roughly by his chin and place his lips on his. The sweet was transferred from one mouth to other causing Naruto to groan and the coldness of the ice-cream and the heat of Sasuke's mouth contrasting with it.

Sasuke's tongue followed Naruto's tongue containing the ice-cream as if to claim it back but instead darted out to taste the vanilla flavor from the other mouth. The sensations caused Sasuke to moan and pull Naruto on his lap, needing more closeness between their bodies along with their mouths. They broke for air and a thin line of vanilla mixed with chocolate ran from Naruto's mouth down to his chin. Sasuke caught the drop before it could fall on Naruto's white work shirt as he licked his way back to Naruto's mouth and once again indulged in another soul searing kiss.

When they broke away this time it was Naruto who had his hands bunched in Sasuke's shirt, his hips rotating helplessly as they sought friction against Sasuke's side. He bent his head and captured the pale neck to place open-mouthed kisses against it causing Sasuke to drop his neck backwards giving him more access, helpless against the onslaught of pleasure it brought. He hissed when Naruto's sharp teeth made contact with his skin, breaking away to glare at Naruto.

"No hickeys," he warned looking deep into a pair of lust-filled cobalt eyes. His erection stood taut and aching in his underpants, uncomfortable as hell and he wanted nothing more than to have Naruto riding him right then and there or to be the one riding him. But there was no way in hell they were having sex without lube that night. They both had work the next day and with Naruto's transfer in the way, a leave from work would only leave a bad impression.

The thought of Naruto being transferred brought him back to the present with a sharp thud. Naruto was going away the next month. He was going away after their planned trip to Okinawa for New Year. Next month on this date they would both be in two different cities, not here on this very dining table sharing a meal or making out.

The realization of what he would lose caused him to pull Naruto into his arms and hold him tight. Instantly, Naruto snapped out of his aroused daze and instinctively wrapped his arms around Sasuke as well. For how long Sasuke sat there with his head pressed to Naruto's heart, listening to his strong and steady heartbeat, he didn't know. But he was sure about one thing: He wanted to stay like this forever.

At length, his arms loosened from Naruto's waist and he lifted his head to stare into understanding blue eyes. There were so many words that came into his mind to express what he was feeling but before they could make their way to the tip of his tongue to be voiced, they all got jumbled and lost their essence. So he just stared dumbfounded into Naruto's eyes till once again Naruto bent his head and kissed him. "I know," was all he said against as he placed his forehead against Sasuke's causing Sasuke's heart to soar while his throat threatened to close up once again. He closed his eyes against the tears that threatened to overwhelm him and just held Naruto like his lifeline.

 _How he prayed he could find the strength to smile and send Naruto away when the time came._

* * *

Naruto got comfortable in bed and waited for Sasuke to emerge from the bathroom where Sasuke was applying a couple of his special night creams. He ran his tongue around his teeth, enjoying the minty freshness after having just brushed his teeth. When Sasuke did not emerge even after five minutes of patiently waiting, Naruto decided to just lie down and close his eyes. He closed his eyes, letting his body relax as his mind wandered to the oncoming vacation to Okinawa.

His feelings towards the vacation were a mixture of excitement and dread. The excitement was at the prospect of going somewhere new and dread because the vacations were followed by the big move. He shifted to his side, placing a hand under his pillow and embracing it. His heart thudded uncomfortably in his chest. It wasn't like he wasn't happy at his promotion, but that was just the thing.

With a promotion came new responsibilities. Despite the fact that he was confident about being able to handle the project he was being assigned in Sapporo, there was the additional factor that because the project was still in its baby stages, it would eat into a lot of Naruto's time. Overtime was a given. And even though he was a genius with the ability to befriend people in a heartbeat, corporate was different. Generally people did not like change. Especially, if it involved getting a new authoritative figure over their heads, people tended to get hostile. He wasn't really sure he could handle the whole Sapporo team.

And then there was Sasuke. The only way they could communicate now would be through Line or through Skype and maybe the occasional phone call since neither was a fan of talking over the phone. Texting or calling Sasuke on company time wasn't an option for Naruto. As it was, he would be under constant scrutiny. Besides, slacking at the job wasn't really his style. He took his work extremely seriously. He wasn't sure if he could find the balance between his work and Sasuke. Sure he would find a rhythm but right now he was completely at sea about everything.

His mind went back to the hurt look that had passed Sasuke's face at the mere mention of searching for an apartment. He knew Sasuke was trying to hold himself together for his sake but he had to talk about this. They had to confront all these issues and even if Sasuke didn't like it, Naruto wasn't going to leave Sasuke out of anything here. He sighed tiredly, his mind a jumble of thoughts and feelings. There was so much to do; he honestly had no clue on how to start. He sighed again.

"What's got your brain cells dying with every breath you take?" Sasuke asked. Naruto's eyes shot open and he watched his lover pull the covers up and settled himself beside him. Immediately he scooted closer to Naruto and buried in the heat Naruto emanated.

Naruto watched Sasuke with slightly narrowed eyes, trying to hide the worries that plagued him. He contemplated telling Sasuke, but maybe that was for another night because right now he wanted nothing more than to lose himself in Sasuke. Sasuke bent his head and rubbed his face against his pillow. Naruto caught a waft of the cream Sasuke used and despite smelling it every day; he crinkled his nose in distaste.

"That cream smells like medicine," he commented. Sasuke's lips went up in humor.

"And works wonders on the skin," Sasuke said as he brought his hand to Naruto's and lifted it to bring it to his face. Tanned knuckles were made to brush against smooth skin. "Do you feel that? That's what this _moisturizer_ does," Sasuke said with an air of superiority that should have made Naruto crinkle his nose in disgust and pull his hand away. But Naruto just chose to snort at Sasuke and his potential to be a complete dork.

He ran his knuckles against pale skin again and watched Sasuke's eyes darken. Sasuke's lips opened as his breathing changed to slightly heavy. He traced the thin lips with his fingertips, smiling seductively when Sasuke opened his mouth to take the thumb in and circle it with his tongue. Naruto's breath hitched when Sasuke bit down on the digit. He pushed the finger down on Sasuke's teeth, clutching his face and forcing Sasuke to open his mouth.

He came closer and replaced his hand on Sasuke's jaw with his mouth, devouring the pale lips with a kiss. Sasuke responded, inching as close as he placed an arm around Naruto's shoulders. Naruto shifted under him, accommodating Sasuke's weight as the dark haired man slipped a leg between Naruto's and moved to deepen the kiss. They kissed for some time, smiling in between kisses, indulging in the moment. Sasuke looked deep into Naruto's eyes, feeling tanned hands run lightly at his sides. He shivered at the contact, bending his neck to nuzzle Naruto's neck and place feather-like soft kisses along the tanned strip of skin. Naruto moved his neck, giving Sasuke more access to his skin.

Their lips met for another soul searing kiss, hands swiftly moving to remove t-shirts and throw them across the floor. Once Sasuke managed to rid Naruto of his t-shirt, he grabbed a bony shoulder and licked along the tanned skin from the shoulder to the point where Naruto's pulse beat rapidly. He dipped his head and licked along the dip before moving up to place kisses along the bobbing Adam's apple. Sasuke let out a low moan as Naruto's hands snaked up his back, fingertips grazing along the hair at the nape and then tangling in midnight hair. They massaged lightly but sensually, making Sasuke shift his body to be closer to Naruto.

He licked leisurely all the way to the underside of Naruto's chin before finding his way back to Naruto's mouth for another flavor. Naruto's fingers increased their pressure on Sasuke's skull as he opened his legs to let Sasuke get comfortable on top of him. His breath hitched when Sasuke's pajama clad erection brushed his, jutting his hips upward for more friction. His hands went lower to squeeze the back of Sasuke's neck and then an index finger moved downward slowly but surely along Sasuke's spine, causing him to arch into the touch and moan.

Naruto took that opportunity to roll the dark haired man on his back. He bent down to plunge his tongue in Sasuke's mouth while his fingers moved deftly to hardened nipples and began rolling the sensitive nubs. Sasuke's tongue moved frantically against Naruto's as his body responded to the sensations running through it. He lifted a leg and wound it around Naruto's waist causing their crotches to come in full contact. He thrust impatiently, loving the friction, needing it as the familiar feeling build inside him. They broke for air, panting harshly as Sasuke's hand tightened in Naruto's hair. Blue eyes darkened with want stared back into his and then the blond head bent to take one of the nipples in his mouth.

Sasuke's hands strengthened their grip on the blond head as Sasuke moaned brokenly. His hips thrust against Naruto, the friction causing him to near his orgasm. The intensity of Sasuke's jerks caused Naruto to break contact. He quickly pulled down his pajama pants and Sasuke's in the process, the process causing Sasuke to almost scream at the movement of the material against his sensitive penis.

"Hurry," Sasuke almost groaned the words, causing Naruto to quickly spurt to action as he pulled out the bottle of lube as Sasuke flipped himself on his stomach. He raised his ass and hissed when Naruto poured a generous amount of the cold lubricant over his ass crack. The blond man massaged the lube gently pushing closer and closer to the puckered hole till Sasuke frustrated with the slow movements, bent his back and thrust out his ass in the air.

Naruto worked his fingers gently, massaging the area around the rim before sliding two fingers inside and rubbing the lube along the chute. Sasuke contracted his asshole and then relaxed it to allow Naruto to prepare him quickly. Naruto's fingers thrust in and out, gaining speed and momentum as they prodded along Sasuke's prostate. At length, Naruto inserted a third finger, making sure Sasuke was prepared enough. His own erection stood taut and pulsing and once he pulled out his fingers, he poured some lube on his right hand and stroked himself a couple of times.

Sasuke turned around to glare at him with impatience. Playfully, Naruto bent down and tugged on Sasuke's cock which was leaking pre-come profusely. The long moan that was literally drawn out of Sasuke, made him smile. "Spread your legs wider," Naruto said as he patted Sasuke's lower back. Sasuke wasted no time in doing what he was told and waited with bated breath as Naruto entered him slowly.

Truth be told, Naruto was equally close. He'd had to grab the base of his penis to prevent coming prematurely as the head of his shaft entered Sasuke. Sasuke contracted his anal walls causing the head to be squeezed almost to a painful level, but the tightness wasn't the issue. The issue was restraining from entering Sasuke in one thrust. Sasuke's head was bent, his pale fingers bunched in the sheet at the strain, as he waited a heartbeat to get used to Naruto's cock inside him. He relaxed and Naruto withdrew almost all the way before plunging deeper. This time he didn't stop till he was completely inside Sasuke, stopping for a minute while his hands dug impatiently in pale hips as his penis throbbed inside Sasuke.

He bent down to lay a trail of kisses along the pale skin. He moved his mouth to the shoulder blades that stood taut and nipped the skin gently. His hands moved up to Sasuke's face to cup it and pull it sideways for another kiss. Sasuke's hands gave up their death grip on the sheets to fall forward on the metal headboard for leverage and then he thrust his hips back signaling Naruto to move. Naruto broke the kiss to pull out and then slam his hips back into Sasuke's; the movement causing the bed to rock almost violently.

"You feel so good," Naruto spoke in a harsh whisper, rotating his hips causing Sasuke to grunt as his prostate was stabbed with the blunt head. Tan hands found purchase on the pale shoulders as Naruto upped the speed of his thrusts. His right hand slid down Sasuke's spine to circle his waist before taking the weeping cock of his lover into his hand. Sasuke thrust against his hand when he circled it around the engorged shaft and stroked him in sync with his thrusts. With the increase in speed, the movements became disjointed till finally Sasuke's hand joined Naruto's to increase the pace of the stroking. They were both close.

Sasuke turned his head once again to the side as Naruto moved forward to take his mouth in a heated kiss. Naruto pulled his hand away to grip both of Sasuke's shoulders and then thrust in deep as he came. He continued pounding into Sasuke whose hand worked frantically at jerking himself off. Two more thrusts and Sasuke came, coating his hand with his seed, his mouth open in a silent cry, the orgasm robbing him of his voice. His legs gave way and he lay down on the bed panting hard. Above him, Naruto continued trying to catch his breath, still inside him.

He shifted to his side after a while with a wet plop as his flaccid cock slid out of Sasuke. He moved to his bedside to pull out a couple of wet wipes and proceeded to clean his still sensitive cock, then pulled out a couple more wipes to clean Sasuke.

"I'm tired of telling you to use a condom," Sasuke's exhausted yet annoyed voice made him smile. He pulled the dark haired man closer to clean more thoroughly.

"And I always tell you pregnancy is not an issue," Naruto snickered and caught Sasuke's ankle easily in his grasp when the latter moved in an attempt to kick him.

"You're an ass." Sasuke shifted his head to the other side and made himself comfortable in the state of partial paralysis he'd reached.

"I'll help you clean it tomorrow," Naruto said as he moved to trash the wipes and then to the bathroom to empty his bladder. He flipped off the light in the bathroom whistling a low tune as he marched back the bedroom. He looked around for his boxers and put them on in the single night lamp that was on in their bedroom.

He smiled when he moved closer to the bed and just gazed at Sasuke who was dozing peacefully. Sasuke's head was turned away from him, his legs straightened out. He was lying on his stomach and his hands were curled under him. Naruto pulled the comforter which was bunched under the prone body of his lover causing said lover to moan in displease.

"Oh shut up. I'm just warming your stupid ass," Naruto mumbled good-naturedly as he threw the comforter on Sasuke who quickly grabbed a corner and huddled himself inside it. Naruto lay down beside him and turned off the lamp. Immediately he moved closer to Sasuke, near the center of the bed to lay an arm across Sasuke's body.

"You smell of saliva," he said as he placed a kiss on Sasuke's shoulder.

"It's yours," was all Sasuke retorted as he leaned back into Naruto's warmth. "Deal with it."

"I wasn't complaining, Sasuke," Naruto said as he placed a couple of light kisses on the area around Sasuke's neck and bare shoulder and one small kiss behind the dark-haired man's ear, smiling against it when Sasuke squirmed. He knew that was one spot where Sasuke was extremely sensitive. He heard Sasuke's breath even out as he closed his eyes against the bony pale shoulder.

"Goodnight Naruto." Sasuke's soft voice startled him, but he placed a kiss on a pale cheek before returning the greeting and going back to sleep.

* * *

"So how are the preparations for your move to Hokkaido coming along?" Itachi asked, picking up his china cup of green tea. He swirled it slowly before taking a sip and putting it back on the wooden table.

They were at Ichiraku's and though Naruto had been a little puzzled about Itachi's sudden lunch invite, he couldn't bring himself to turn the man down. Itachi was a little unnerving in his opinion. Though Sasuke's older brother supported their relationship, Naruto still wasn't sure as to whether Itachi approved of him.

He put his index finger to the rim of his china cup and ran it across the warm ceramic surface. He hummed, thinking about the best way to respond. "It's going fine," he finally supplied, albeit a bit lamely causing Itachi to turn and regard him.

Itachi nodded once, going back to pick up his cup of tea and take another leisurely sip. Naruto looked up at Ayame who was busy adding seasoning to their ramen and smiled at her. Being a regular here, he was quite familiar with the staff of the famous ramen store. His nails scraped lightly along the aged wood of the table before reaching out to his tea.

"How is Sasuke taking it?" Itachi asked and despite being prepared for it, Naruto choked on his tea. He coughed helplessly as Itachi handed him a tissue to wipe his nose, disdain visible in those dark eyes which were similar to Sasuke's.

He dabbed a couple of times at the corner of his lips and then made one perfunctory dab at his striped work shirt just to buy some time to compose himself and answer the question. "He's doing fine," he said. He didn't want to cause unnecessary worries for Itachi.

Itachi looked at him and blinked. "You're not very honest are you, Naruto-kun," he observed.

Naruto immediately colored realizing the faux pas he'd made. "No, I didn't mean that. I just…don't want you to worry about him. But really, he's fine." He gathered his hands in his lap and massaged the palm of his left hand with his right thumb, uncertainty and embarrassment painted all over his face.

"You spoil him too much, Naruto-kun." It wasn't the first time Itachi had said it, but it still caused a wave of irritation to run through Naruto.

"I think I'm the spoiled one, Itachi-san," Naruto replied, smiling at Ayame who kept the two porcelain bowls laden with their ramen in front of them.

"Sasuke is still a _child_ , Naruto," Itachi said, picking up a pair of chopsticks and breaking them to swirl the broth.

Naruto grit his teeth even when his brow furrowed in annoyance. He couldn't fathom just how it was that the man Sasuke had spent a quality portion of his life admiring could not understand his little brother.

"Why do you say that?" his tone came out sharper than he intended to, but he refused to be ashamed about it.

Itachi shrugged, pricking Naruto's ire some more. "You know that better than me."

Naruto snorted despite his anger. "Given how I learnt of it for the first time from you, I have to say; I'm at sea about this, even though I live with the guy."

Itachi smiled around his chopsticks as he slurped up his noodles. "Now really Naruto, that guy cannot survive without you."

Naruto smiled as he broke his chopsticks and picked up the piece of fish cake to put it on the side, before adding some soy sauce to his ramen. "The feeling is mutual Itachi-san," he said.

Itachi rolled his eyes at Naruto. "You're a sentimental sap. But my brother thinks of you as his life support," he said, waving his chopsticks uncharacteristically in Naruto's direction. "As a _literal_ life support," he added for emphasis.

Naruto frowned at him. "That is not true," he said, his left hand curling into a fist. He hadn't come here to listen to Itachi point out Sasuke's supposed flaws and throw them at his face and make them seem like they were his mistakes.

"I had lunch with my brother last Tuesday, Naruto-kun. And you are still all he talks about."

Naruto failed to see the point. "Well we live together. It's understood that he will talk about me," Naruto said, his tone tinged with a hint of obvious logic that made the corners of Itachi's lips curl. "Besides, my move to Hokkaido is a big deal that is happening to us right now and…"

"That's exactly the problem, Naruto-kun. It is supposed to be make changes in your relationship, _positive changes_ not make Sasuke feel like a vulnerable worry-wart."

"Well what sort of _positive changes_ do you hope to see, Itachi-san? Just what is it that I'm expected to make of this conversation?" Naruto breathed hard, surprised at himself for letting his feelings gets to him, to the extent of being rude to a man he genuinely respected.

Itachi sighed, placing his chopsticks on the top of the bowl. He wiped his mouth demurely with a tissue, crumpling it in his hand before putting it beside the red and white patterned ramen bowl. "Naruto," his tone was sharp; "You both need to grow up."

Naruto put down his chopsticks with a bark of laughter that boarded on the edge of hysteria. Why was this conversation moving in a circle? Was this the only thing Itachi could think about when he thought of his brother? "I'm disgusted." Naruto spoke softly, causing Itachi's eyes to widen and regard him with a hint of shock.

"What did you say?" Itachi's tone reflected his shock.

"I said I'm disgusted. Wait, disgust doesn't quite cover the feeling or the opinion I'm beginning to form of you." He ran an agitated hand through his golden hair and pushed away his bowl, appetite forgotten and regarded the one man Sasuke admired and loved more than anyone else in the world. "Do you even know your brother, Itachi-san? Because if you did, you wouldn't be sitting here _whining_ about your brother's shortcomings."

"I'm not wrong. I'm -"

"Oh shut up with your observation! You called him a child when you have absolutely no clue as to how fucking mature Sasuke is being about this! Hell, he doesn't let me worry for a second; acting like everything is roses and peaches just so that I don't reconsider my decision, just so that I don't give up this…this promotion. Hell, sometimes he is so fucking _Zen_ about the entire ordeal that he scares me. And anyway, what is it that you want from him, huh? I mean, if tomorrow you were to live away from your wife and child, I bet you wouldn't be the epitome of stoicism either, would you Itachi-san?"

Itachi's breath hitched at the same example Sasuke had given him only last Tuesday. He turned to look at Naruto who was taking a huge gulp of breath and trying to calm his temper. The blond eyebrows, however, were still bunched in a frown and Itachi saw Naruto clench his fists a couple of times to try and retain his calm.

Suddenly he laughed, startling Naruto who turned to look at him with a baffled expression. Honestly, he was scared after he'd said to Itachi, expecting a strict tongue lashing as Itachi pointed out the flaws in his judgment. But the sight before him was truly unsettling. "Why are you laughing?" Naruto asked, baffled beyond thought.

"You both used the same examples," he shook his head when Naruto just stared back at him confused. "You're both so similar, it's scary."

Itachi was adding to Naruto's growing impatience. He cleared his throat, frown still intact on his face as he stared at Itachi. "So what is it that you want from Sasuke?" he demanded, no longer caring about maintaining the polite façade.

Itachi shook his head. "I don't want anything except for my brother to stop…to stop _clinging_ on to you like you're his lifeline."

Naruto snorted this time, clearly amused. "What you call 'clinging' Itachi-san is his way of loving me. Yes I admit it tends to get a little _intense_ , but it is ours and it's not going away regardless of whether I go to Hokkaido or Singapore or anywhere in the world. The person you've been calling a "child" all this while has held my hand every step of this journey, has bared his soul to me at every turn. He's stood by me when I needed him. That's what this is: I'm not his lifeline, if anything he's mine because honest to god, I have no clue as to how I'll survive without him." He pushed back his chair, appetite totally gone as he pulled out his wallet from his blazer pocket and threw a five thousand bill on the table to cover both their meals' expense and said, "I am proud of knowing Sasuke and loving him."

With that, he picked up his blazer, coat and scarf, draped them across his arm and walked out of the restaurant, leaving Itachi shaking his head as he picked up his chopsticks once again to resume his meal.

Now that Itachi had received all his answers, he could finally eat in peace.

* * *

"Is your packing all done?" Sasuke asked shoving his bag of toiletries in his suitcase and zipping it shut. He moved to sit at the foot of the bed beside Naruto's legs.

Naruto hummed listlessly as he stared at something very intensely at his phone screen. Sasuke huffed in annoyance at his lover's disinterest and then smirked as he tickled his lover's foot with his fingertips. He frowned when he was almost kicked in the face. He'd forgotten just how wild Naruto could get. But that got Naruto's attention for he kept away his phone.

"Have you kept the camera charger?" Sasuke asked him, making a face at the guilty look Naruto sent him. He opened his mouth to scold Naruto, but then Naruto grinned cheekily and winked at him. Sasuke rolled his eyes before grabbing his ankle in a tight grip and tugging at it to no avail since Naruto didn't slide down like he wanted him to.

"Come here you buffoon and let me kiss you," Sasuke said, leaning forward. Naruto grinned and wriggled down till his head was level with Sasuke's knee and then he flipped around, settling his head on Sasuke's lap.

Sasuke played with a lock of hair as they smiled at each other softly. "Where's my kiss?" Naruto demanded as he puckered his lips up for a kiss, reaching out his arms to draw Sasuke down for a kiss. Sasuke laughed as he his hands moved to Naruto's scalp as he bent down to place a kiss on Naruto's forehead.

Instantly, the playful look vanished from blue eyes which darkened as they gazed into Sasuke's. "Give me a proper kiss," Naruto's voice was gruff, like it took him a colossal effort to say those words.

Sasuke smiled and bent down once again. But he sat there, suspended mid-motion, his eyes locked on Naruto's, who wore an intense look on his face as he stared back into Sasuke's eyes. Sasuke bent his head slowly and kissed him. Naruto opened his lips as an invitation, smiling slightly when Sasuke's tongue entered his mouth. They moved their tongues back and forth, neither interested in dominating the kiss, both just relishing the moment.

When they broke away, Sasuke wiped a drop of moisture from Naruto's lower lip while Naruto reached out to push back Sasuke's bangs from his face. "Have I ever told you, I love the way you kiss?" Sasuke asked, still tracing Naruto's lip with his thumb.

Naruto smiled, his eyelashes lowering in pleasure for a moment before looking back up at Sasuke. "Maybe," he said, letting go of Sasuke's head and bringing his own hand down to Sasuke's mouth, "and maybe I've told you that I love the way you kiss me back," he said.

Sasuke closed his eyes for a second, reveling in the happiness that compliment from Naruto brought forth and smiled. "I don't think I want to let you out of the hotel room in Okinawa," Sasuke said with a needy tremor in his voice as he traced a blond brow, his eyes trained at the tan neck, staring unseeingly.

Naruto snorted and pulled Sasuke's nose. "Sounds like a plan," he whispered. Black eyes returned sharply to his. There was something in the blue eyes that pulled at Sasuke's heart. He had looked forward to and dreaded this vacation more than anything in the world. And now that it was upon them, his thoughts were still unstable.

Naruto had made every preparation that was required before he could move to Sapporo. He was done with all the necessary paperwork required before their vacation so that after they returned, all that remained was Naruto packing his stuff and taking the first flight out. And they had picked out the apartment for him.

Sasuke sighed, disliking the memories that brought forth. While it had been one of the most exciting thing when it came to living together with Naruto, apartment-hunting for Naruto in Sapporo was one of the most depressing things Sasuke had come to experience...

* * *

Once they settled in bed, Naruto pulled out his Macbook and set it on top of the coverlet and waited for the site he'd bookmarked to open while Sasuke got comfortable and folded the covers around him symmetrically. Naruto rolled his eyes like every other time he watched his partner tuck the covers around him to build a cocoon, failing to see the purpose since the bed would be ruined eventually in the wake of their activities later.

Nevertheless, he found the habit adorable even now after eight years. He crinkled his nose with love at Sasuke who only rolled his eyes at him as he smoothed out the final crease from the coverlet before turning his eyes to the screen. Pictures of apartments floated mindlessly on the screen, each one flashier than the former with rates flashing like neon lights in Kabukicho.

Under normal circumstances, Sasuke would have sneered at the low quality and low maintenance of the site but right now his heart wasn't in it. Truth be told, he didn't even want to look at the screen. This was it. The moment he had been dreading after he had shared that…moment with Naruto back after dinner. His heart was unsettled beating at a pace unfamiliar to him as fright pooled in the pit of his stomach causing the uncomfortable feeling to course through his entire being. He wanted to slam the laptop close and throw it across the room. It still felt too early for this. Every nerve in his body felt taut and strained.

He swallowed past the negativity boiling inside him and watched Naruto type in the locality near where he wanted the apartment. Various results came up and his eyes slid to watch the blue ones which looked like they knew which building to look at. He smiled slowly as he watched the pink tongue dart out to touch a corner of the lips like they always did when Naruto was concentrating. Naruto's blue eyes left the screen to look back at him and Sasuke's heart skipped a beat at the uncertainty he found there.

He forced himself to swallow the uncertainty that always threatened to erupt every second and look back at him. Heck he even managed a small smile, but when Naruto continued giving him the look, he knew he couldn't fake it. Suddenly Naruto closed his laptop and set it on the carpet beside the bed, close to where his bedroom slippers sat. "Sasuke," he began and Sasuke's heart sped up. He knew deep in his bones what this conversation was going to be all about.

"Let's just get this over with," Sasuke's words sounded rushed to Naruto's ears, like he had forced themselves out. He looked some more into Sasuke's eyes, staring at the false bravado looking back at him and his heart twisted in his chest. He realized the courage it would be taking for Sasuke to watch Naruto do this. He nodded, bending down to pick his laptop from the carpet and opening it once again.

Sasuke was rationalizing everything in his head. He was placing everything in its logical box because he knew the importance of this for Naruto. But each time the poor flash site shuffled from one apartment to another, his heart pinched a little. He closed his eyes for a second to steel himself. He could do this. He had to do this. If not for his sake, then for Naruto's. He was still grateful for the fact that Naruto had wanted his opinion in something like this.

They sat together and discussed the prices of various apartments, debating whether the 1LDK worth seventy thousand a month was better than the 2LDK worth a hundred thousand. Sasuke wanted the cheaper apartment stating that Naruto wouldn't need the extra bedroom, while Naruto was in favor of the 2LDK simply because it would be a safer option in case friends and family decided to visit.

They contemplated over the pricing, the amenities, neighborhood and everything under the sun that was required before they finally decided to settle for the 1LDK. Sasuke even gave a half-hearted triumphant hmph when Naruto took a memo of the landlord's name and number to call the next day.

When they were finally done with everything and Naruto had turned off his computer and placed it back on the table, he came back and sat beside Sasuke on the bed, placing a bottle of water he had taken from the kitchen on the way back. "And that's done," he said, reaching for the bottle of water and opening it. He was in the process of tilting up for a drink when he glanced down to watch Sasuke heave a great sigh.

"Yeah, that's done." Sasuke said, his voice sounding low and wistful. It pulled at Naruto's heart.

He put down the bottle without taking a sip and put it on his bedside. He turned towards Sasuke and patted his knee. "Come here," he said, looking down at Sasuke who was staring at the ceiling with a morose expression.

Sasuke's eyes slid to his and then a second later, he scooted closer and put his head on Naruto's thigh. Naruto bent down and absently put his hands on Sasuke's head, his fingers carding through the soft hair, gently pushing them back from Sasuke's forehead calming him. He watched Sasuke's dark eyes for a moment and then he pushed back Sasuke's heavy bangs with his left hand and kissed Sasuke's forehead, right between his eyebrows.

Sasuke closed his eyes against the intimacy of the gesture, against the tears that were almost ready to spill. A part of him understood what Itachi spoke about - their over dependence on each other which was unhealthy. A rational part of Sasuke knew he shouldn't need Naruto the way he did, that he shouldn't want the man around all the time. And yet, there was nothing he would do to change it.

"What's on your mind?" Naruto's voice broke through his inner reverie and he carefully opened his eyes to study Naruto.

Sasuke took a deep breath, his hands shaking with the feelings running through his system. His teeth almost clattered as if he were left out in the cold at the scrambled crosswalk of the Shibuya station rather than the warmth of his own bedroom. He exhaled slowly albeit shakily before looking back into blue eyes.

"Can I make a confession?" he asked, his tongue coming out to swipe nervously at his lower lip as he glanced up at Naruto.

Naruto nodded, his eyes seemingly guarded and Sasuke knew that if Naruto was to speak at that moment, his tone would be carefully neutral. But Sasuke had felt the way Naruto had tensed at that.

He took a deep breath and brought his hands to his chest, searching for one of Naruto's warm ones to curl his own against it before placing a chaste peck on it.

"I don't like the fact that you're going to Sapporo. Hell, I can't bear to see you going to Shinjuku or Ginza or even fucking Hakone or Tsukuba if it means we are going to live apart." His hand tightened briefly on Naruto's as he grit his teeth to ward off the pent up fright that was building. He closed his eyes tightly against the shame that rose. "Itachi says I am extremely dependant on you and somewhere I feel he is not wrong. But here's the rope Naruto, I'd rather stay dependant on you than stay without you. I know it's a matter of six months or maybe a year and partners should be able to live without each other for that length of time, but each time I think about you not being here in this house, it just feels like being punched in the gut. And yet…" he paused, his breath shook, the tears, the treacherous tears snaking their way past tightly closed lids and making their way down his face to drip on Naruto's sweatpants.

"And yet, there is nothing I would do to prevent you from going because I don't want to be the one who stands in the way of your promotion. I don't want to be the one holding you back. I hate how needy this makes me. I hate how greedy I get when it comes to you but can you blame me? I love you. I love you. I love you so much. Is that supposed to be a problem? Was this what I signed up for when we came to live together? I was supposed to have grown stronger. I was supposed to be more mature about this, fighting this battle for both of our sakes. And here I am…hoping to avoid the inevitable, dying to have someone just tell me I'll still be coming back to your warm smiles, to be wrapped in arms that hold me and keep me safe, to eyes that just glow with the love they bear for me."

He looked up to see Naruto's eyes burning with unshed tears as they looked into Sasuke's. They sat like that, just staring at each other for a while, neither speaking. Then Naruto swatted a hand across his face, wiping the tears that ran down his cheeks and took a deep, shaky breath.

He licked his lips as if searching for the right words to say. Then he gazed down at Sasuke, finding his own fingers grazing softly against pale tear-streaked cheeks, wiping them away. "I feel the same Sasuke," he said at last, forcing out a small sad smile and he dashed a hand across his eyes again. He sat up straighter as he broke eye contact with Sasuke again to gaze at the far wall with unseeing eyes. "I'm very apprehensive about Sapporo," he said softly, his gaze still on the wall as if mesmerized by it.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked, lifting his head from Naruto's lap to sit up straighter to gaze at his lover, his brow furrowing.

Naruto turned to look at him and smiled sadly again. "I've been thinking about the change. The Sapporo office is not going to like a new boss over them," he said, mindlessly dragging his hand across the sweatpants he wore.

Sasuke took a sharp breath, realizing the _additional_ problems that were plaguing Naruto's mind. "They don't have a choice," he said at last..

Naruto turned to gaze at him again for a moment. "Hm, but that does not mean they'll make it easier for me. Besides these are new people I am going to be working with. The system could be the same but it doesn't entail a smooth ride." He sighed, licking his lips again, his eyes turning back to the far wall. "If anything, the additional responsibilities are making me _dread_ this transfer."

"But you said you'd spoken to the employees in Sapporo and they seemed okay," Sasuke said, his frown deepening. His lips turned down dejectedly negating the very _thought_ that someone could dislike Naruto or hurt him.

"Yes, but having a conference over Skype for twenty minutes is worlds apart from being their boss, Sasuke. I am not sure I can handle this," Naruto sighed once again, tearing his eyes from the wall and rubbing his face tiredly with his hand. He didn't know why he had brought out this topic. True, he had been thinking about discussing this with Sasuke, but discussing it right then was one of the worst ideas he had ever had. He had just wanted to comfort Sasuke and tell him everything was going to be alright and instead they were now here with Naruto ranting about his insecurities about this promotion and once again Sasuke was working on providing the courage.

 _How was he going to be strong in a new city all alone?_

He glanced at his pillar of courage who was frowning heavily and shaking his head and Naruto knew without a doubt that Sasuke was thinking of a way to soothe Naruto and put everything in its right place.

"Do you remember that time in ninth grade when Nana passed away and I stopped coming to class and began slacking off?" Sasuke asked, after a moment.

Naruto blinked at him. Yes, he remembered Sasuke's ancient cat Nana passing away. He remembered the lost look on Sasuke's face, the vacant eyes, the disinterested and distant demeanour, the underlying pain and anger. But most of all, he remembered Sasuke closing himself off. He remembered it very clearly. He just didn't get why Sasuke was bringing it up now.

"What about it?" he asked, a frown forming on his face as he gazed at his lover who was now wearing a small smile.

"You brought me out of it, Naruto. Every morning you would be there, shaking me awake, pulling out my clothes, sometimes dressing me up despite my bitching and complaining. You would take my hand and drag me to school, make sure I ate properly, feeding me when I wouldn't budge, forcing me to do everything even though I knew how much I was hating everything that time."

"Yeah, and that was because you were hurting. And you were unwilling to vent it out," Naruto said in a rational voice still failing to see the point.

Sasuke continued, ignoring Naruto's logical tidbit. "It was the same time when every girl in the school used to hound me to profess their love," he snickered, like it was a joke. Then he slid his gaze from the bedsheet to Naruto's. "But it was you who took my hand and set everything right, Naruto. Even when I would flail and kick and scream and punch the daylights out of you, you would still be there in the bedroom the next morning, shaking me awake, telling me it was time to go." His smile widened when Naruto still continued to frown and stare at him. Sasuke knew that to Naruto that had been the most obvious thing to do as a friend, but he didn't know the monumental effect it had had on Sasuke.

"After a while, when the hurt began to subside, I wanted to follow you. I wanted to hold your hand and have you tell me to go grab some bread from the cafeteria or try to divert my attention by taking me to the game arcade. Those girls, they just _told_ me they loved me. While you, you Naruto, you _showed_ it to me every single day." He leaned forward and took Naruto's left hand in his, caressing it softly, waiting for Naruto to connect the dots.

"And that's when you fell in love with me," Naruto whispered in awe. He wondered why they had never had this conversation before.

"You're a born leader, Naruto." Sasuke said, his right thumb rubbing soothingly on Naruto's palm, igniting the fire inside Naruto. "You'll be just fine." The smile he shot at Naruto this time was full of so much pride and conviction that Naruto's breath caught in his chest.

Naruto cleared his throat, closing his palm around Sasuke's thumb, squeezing it in a quiet means of thanks. "How do you always have the perfect words to say?" he asked after a long moment.

Sasuke smiled again and waggled his eyebrows playfully. "You think staying with you for so long hasn't taught me a thing? I know all your hot buttons, lover."

Naruto snorted at that, pulling Sasuke closer with the hands that were tangled between them. He caught Sasuke to his chest and let go of the hand to hug him tightly. "Thank you," he whispered, dropping a kiss to Sasuke's head.

Sasuke lifted his head to gaze at Naruto with a small smile on his face. "Feel better?" he asked, moving his arms to wind them around Naruto's chest, his head resting on Naruto's shoulder.

Naruto nodded, nuzzling into Sasuke's hair, smiling at the scent of Sasuke's expensive vanilla shampoo, knowing how much he was going to miss it. "I know yours too," he spoke after a long moment.

Sasuke lifted his head and looked into Naruto's eyes lifting a delicate brow in question. "What do you know?" he asked, looking genuinely confused.

Naruto smiled at him, helping himself to a quick, hard kiss. He tilted his head to the side till his nose brushed Sasuke's ear causing the dark haired man to shiver slightly at the contact and duck his head to ward off the tickle. But Naruto leaned closer still till Sasuke could feel the air deliberately blown into his ear. Naruto's voice was low and husky that was sure to go directly to Sasuke's groin. "Your buttons, Sasuke. I know them all," he said, pushing out his tongue at the end to lick the shell of Sasuke's ear again, grinning impishly when Sasuke shivered at the contact.

"Then you should know, it will piss me off if you start something now without the intention of going all the way," Sasuke said, leaning away to grab Naruto's face in his hands roughly and kiss him hard.

Naruto brought his hands up to Sasuke's shoulders making sure to rub Sasuke's sides sensually in the process, smirking slightly as he watched Sasuke's eyes close sensually, his lips opening to breathe through his mouth. With Sasuke, the visual turned him on more than anything else. "And you know better than anyone how if I've got something on my mind, I intend to go all the way. "

Sasuke smirked at that. "Fuck, that look is so hot." He leaned forward and licked Naruto's lips and soon they were indulging themselves in kisses...

* * *

"We should probably go to sleep now," Naruto's voice brought him out of his reverie. Sasuke's eyes moved to their bedside alarm clock, only to realize it was past midnight.

"The flight is at 11.50 and driving from here to the airport alone is going to take a couple of hours." Sasuke murmured absently, his mind still on that night.

Naruto nodded, releasing Sasuke's face and running a hand softly through black hair. "I'll just go brush my teeth. Can you just go through my stuff to ensure I haven't forgotten anything?" Naruto asked, causing Sasuke to chuckle. Sasuke nodded, having done this on several occasions since he knew how forgetful Naruto got when it came to packing.

Naruto moved in the direction of the bathroom as Sasuke kneeled down near the foot of the bed and opened Naruto's suitcase to just quickly make sure the blond man wasn't forgetting anything. He scrunched his nose at the haphazard way things were just heaped inside the suitcase and immediately began taking out everything to rearrange Naruto's stuff.

He smiled when he pulled out the cotton black t-shirt that Sasuke had bought for him in Nagasaki on the occasion of the Chinese New Year. The t-shirt had been love at first sight, with a huge orange dragon emblazoned on the front and Naruto had just stared at it, till, Sasuke had let out a deep sigh and asked the stall vendor for the t-shirt in Naruto's size. That was three years ago. Hell, the damned thing even had a nickname! "Ryuu-chan", as Naruto called it oh-so-lovingly as he put it on to go grocery shopping over the weekends. In Sasuke's opinion the t-shirt needed retirement given the frequency with which it was worn. But Sasuke knew better than to mention the absurdity of the nickname to Naruto, that and the fact that Naruto should stop wearing it. Because that would lead to Naruto's eyes turning impossibly large and hurtful and then Naruto would just grab the t-shirt and clutch it to his chest, all the while disgusted by the fact that "Sasuke was just jealous of Ryuu-chan".

How Sasuke could be jealous of a t-shirt _he_ bought for _his_ lover, he wouldn't know.

He shook his head, continuing to pull out Naruto's stuff and fold it and place it in organized piles when he thought about how one day he will be repeating the same actions for when Naruto would go to Hokkaido. His hand tightened unconsciously on the swimming trunks he held in his hands as his heart lurched painfully in his chest.

The tears came faster than he'd anticipated, clouding his vision, scaring him with the pain that one sentence brought with all the happiness simultaneously. Immediately, he began fighting them, blinking them back as his lips tried to remember to smile. He still had a week with Naruto left and above and they were going on a vacation to boot. He wasn't going to ruin those days just thinking about the future that lay beyond this week, and so he took a deep breath to calm himself.

His hands shook as he folded the trunks but he forced himself to calm down. He had to, or else everything would fall apart and frankly speaking, he wasn't ready yet. He wasn't ready to let everything fall apart – not just yet. This vacation was going to be their dream vacation. He wasn't going to think about what lay beyond it. He wasn't going to ruin what little time he had left with Naruto. And so, he squared his shoulders and began to re-pack everything.

Naruto came out of the bathroom, just as Sasuke was closing the zipper of his suitcase and immediately bent down to hug Sasuke in gratitude. He knew he'd be lost without Sasuke. "So what all did I forget this time around?" he asked playfully as Sasuke poked him in mock annoyance on the temple with his index finger.

"Socks, towels and pajamas," Sasuke said, shaking his head and giving Naruto a stupid look.

Naruto crinkled his nose at that. "Sounds like middle-aged people stuff to me," he said, causing Sasuke to chuckle unexpectedly. Naruto grinned at the sound and turned to nuzzle Sasuke's neck with his nose.

"Shut up. You wouldn't be amused about it when we would be in the hotel and you'd be going through all your stuff panicking." He turned towards Naruto and did an impression of a panic-stricken Naruto. "I kept them, I know I did! I couldn't have possibly forgotten! Oh god Sasuke, how do I _always_ forget my socks?"

Naruto grimaced for a second, recalling a couple of trips where he had indeed forgotten to take his socks. Sasuke had offered him a pair of his own, but Naruto had refused and dashed to the nearest Family Mart to grab a pair, which had been neon yellow and the stare he'd received from Sasuke had him feeling mortifying to say the least. The good part was the fact that they were in South Korea where neon colors seemed to be a fad, but yeah, it wasn't one of Naruto's favorite moments.

"Thanks," Naruto said, continuing to rub his nose against Sasuke's neck.

"Please tell me that it's love that's got you rubbing your nose and not a nose-itch," Sasuke said after a minute's worth of feeling Naruto rub his nose against his neck.

He snorted, causing Sasuke to pull away from him with a heavy frown, muttering "charming" under his breath. "Okay, that might have been a nose itch, but, hey, you know I love you, right?" he said, blinking deceptively innocent eyes at Sasuke and lifting his hands above his head to form a heart.

Sasuke sighed, exasperated. His insides were all mushy and cotton-candy at that gesture and he was just dying to pull Naruto's nose. But Naruto had probably drenched his neck in snort and germs and that wasn't the most pleasant thought he could have had.

"You are disgusting," he said, grabbing an antibacterial wipe to rub his neck whilst glaring at him in mock anger.

Naruto seemed unfazed. "But you love me anyway, Sasuke," he said.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. They had done this a time too many now. "Yeah, I wonder why," he muttered, dropping the wipe in the trashcan and moving to the bathroom to clean up before bed, hoping no pimples would sprout on his neck. He knew he was _slightly_ vain about his skin, but it was okay. Naruto loved him anyway.

* * *

By the time he got done with his bath and emerged from the bathroom Naruto was under the covers with his eyes closed. Sasuke went about doing his business quietly as he turned off all the lights and made sure all the windows were closed before coming back to their bedroom. He threw the towel he had been using to wipe his damp hair in the laundry hamper before running a hand through the almost dried locks and settling his pillows before climbing into bed.

He set the alarm clock and lay down softly, making sure he didn't wake Naruto in the process. Once he was done, he quietly pulled the comforter over his bare shoulders and scooted closer to Naruto as silently and softly as he could. But all his efforts were pointless because Naruto's warm tanned hand shot out, almost startling Sasuke and curled loosely around his waist.

"Can't sleep properly without you, 'Suke," Naruto muttered sleepily, his breath evening out after a second.

Sasuke heart thudded painfully as once again his treacherous mind began thinking of what lay ahead of them. But then Naruto curled his hand and uncurled it in his sleep and Sasuke calmed down, knowing that right that second Naruto was with him in their apartment.

And somehow that was enough to suffice at the moment.

He turned and dropped a kiss on Naruto's head. "Goodnight," he whispered softly, closing his eyes and reveling in the fragrance of their shampoo in Naruto's hair.

"Goodnight," was the mumbled reply as Naruto's hand tightened on Sasuke's waist and he burrowed closer to Sasuke's chest, sleeping the sleep of the innocent.

Sasuke smiled softly, closing his eyes. Together they lay tangled as they drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 _ **A Week Later…**_

Sasuke was panicking. Well how could he not? The vacation had been grand, it had been fantastic and he had loved every minute of the sightseeing, the famous aquarium and the beaches and scuba diving and snorkeling and everything Naruto wanted to do. Of course, making love was a given - be it in between their hotel bed sheets or that one time they'd decided to be a little adventurous at the beach. Sasuke was sure there was still some sand stuck in between his ass crack even now.

But this wasn't the time to bitch about some grains of sand between his ass cheeks.

He had to come to terms with the fact that Naruto was leaving for Hokkaido in less than twelve hours. And as he walked into his bedroom to look at all of Naruto's clothing and stuff lying around and the two large suitcases that lay on the floor by the bed, his heart began thudding loudly. Yeah sure he had some kind of a sloppily put half assed plan up his sleeve, but still, Naruto was leaving. He turned around and almost gawked out loudly when Naruto came out from the bathroom, his shaving equipment in his hand as his eyes turned to Sasuke and he said, "Hey Sasuke, do you know where I kept my orange…"

His words died when his eyes met Sasuke's. Sasuke looked like a cornered animal with the way his panicked eyes kept darting everywhere but at him or the bed as if they were offending him. His hands were in the pockets of his work trousers, but Naruto was sure they were shaking. They were both feeling the same thing – the dread of the moment when Naruto would depart. But Sasuke had stayed mature and calm for him and it was his turn to return the favor. He walked up to Sasuke and put a hand on the pale man's shoulder. "It's going to be fine. Six months are going to pass in a flash," he said, keeping his voice light, pumping all the enthusiasm he could muster in that those two statements.

But it turned out to have the opposite effect.

"What do you know, huh?" Sasuke's voice was small, silky, almost challenging, almost threatening.

Naruto felt his anger rising irrationally at that statement. _What did Sasuke think he was? How dare he? Didn't he know that Naruto felt the exact same level of anger and despair that Sasuke felt? How could he?_

"And you do, huh?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing in anger when he saw the storm in Sasuke's, rising to the surface, just waiting to explode.

"Yes I do. Because I am the one who is going to have to come back to this _empty apartment_ after you go and pine for you, while you go and make new friends and party around like a madman." Sasuke said angry splotches of red appearing on his cheeks.

"I see. So that's what you think I am going to Hokkaido for?" Naruto asked, his brain telling him how baseless this whole argument was going to be, but he could not fight back the hurt that cut through him at Sasuke's words.

"Yes, and frankly Naruto, I won't be surprised if you find yourself a new flame and sleep with them because –" the slap caught them both by surprise. Naruto let out a gasp only after he felt the sting of the action against his palm.

And that was all it took to spur Sasuke to action. He punched Naruto, sending him flying towards the bed. He fell heavily on all his stuff strewn out messily over the bed, but he used a corner to haul himself up and launch himself full throttle at Sasuke. He punched Sasuke who staggered back a little before flying headfirst into Naruto's midsection and knocking him back on the bed. Naruto fell heavily as the wind was knocked out of his chest.

He sat up a minute later and with an animalistic roar, he launched himself at Sasuke. They fought like cats and dogs for some time and while some semblance of rationality was returning in their incensed brains with every punch and slap and kick, Naruto was surprised they hadn't done this before – the blame game, the weird and insane accusations with the punches thrown in. The absurdity of the whole situation hit him suddenly and he began laughing.

Sasuke stopped where he was in the process of launching his fists into Naruto's body and stared at Naruto's laughing figure, but then the absurdity hit him too and he joined in on the laughter a second later. And then a moment later, they were both holding their stomachs and howling like hyenas while repeating what the other person said, the hilarity growing with every second mixed with groans and moans about smarting knuckles and jaws.

One second they were lying there on the bed, breathless and amused and the next they were sitting up and hugging each other tightly. Neither knew who started crying first. But suddenly there was a sob and shuddering shoulders and death clutches and tears – loads of tears. Neither said a word, choosing instead to hold the other like it was their lifeline and weep their insecurities out, their sorrow at the parting and every painful feeling that had plagued them and would continue to plague them till they grew up and got over it.

"Sorry, I got snot on your shirt," Naruto spoke first without thinking, his voice sounding nasal and broken. He didn't move away from Sasuke but continued to lean his forehead against Sasuke's shoulder, his tears still dripping on the pristine white shirt.

"I got some on yours too," Sasuke said his voice choked up from all the tears and the snot. He turned his head and laid it against Naruto's shoulder and pulled the tanned man closer to him. They stood there for a long while, just relishing the feel of the other's body against them.

"Sasuke, would you...um...would you like to help me pack?" Naruto asked, his voice nervous and skeptical, like he knew the answer but had still decided to venture into it.

Sasuke looked up at him surprised that Naruto had to ask. His nerves had somewhat calmed in the way they could only calm when he was with Naruto and he smiled and said, "Sure."

Naruto looked relieved and surprised. He gestured to the stuff and then to the suitcases lying open. He ran a hand at the back of his neck in a gesture Sasuke knew to be sheepish and said, "As you can see, I _tried_ to pack one of them with my formal suits, but for some reason all of them just won't fit…" he trailed off, giving Sasuke a smile that looked more cheeky than apologetic.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Of course, Naruto. Now move and allow the experts to deal with it. Your job is solely to pass me the stuff when I ask for it."

Naruto nodded, walking Sasuke who immediately bent down to work. He began carefully extracting all the black and blue work suits from the suitcase and handed them to Naruto who arranged them in a neat pile on the bed. Naruto watched him work, a small smile playing on his lips as he always marveled at how organized Sasuke was. Compared to him, Naruto was messy. And then in a lot of ways, Naruto and Sasuke were complete opposites. He wondered if that was what made them so...compatible with each other.

It took Sasuke roughly twenty minutes to put everything in the right order and organized piles to pack Naruto's formal wear, _including_ the clothes Naruto had complained about earlier. Satisfied, he closed the suitcase and zipped it neatly, putting it away before grabbing the second suitcase to bring it closer. He turned to Naruto who was still wearing the awestruck smile and gazing at his lover. Sasuke smiled, leaning up to kiss Naruto soundly on the mouth.

"Pass me the t-shirts, love," he said against Naruto's lips as he bent down again to get to work. This suitcase took longer simply because of a few disputes they had over the choices of clothes Naruto was taking versus what was sensible enough to be taken for Hokkaido. Finally, Sasuke dusted his hands together with a flourish after having stashed the extra jackets and boots he knew Naruto would require for a cold winter in Hokkaido and smiled at his lover who wore a slight frown.

"You know I don't need that jacket," Naruto began his argument again and Sasuke shut him up with a kiss.

"You'll thank me when your ass is beginning to get frozen in the snow," Sasuke advised back, trying not to sound so cocksure and smug about himself.

"You didn't even let me pack Ryuu-chan," Naruto mumbled albeit half-heartedly, his gaze lingering to Sasuke's lips seemingly distracted by the smirk and the kiss from before.

"That's because you won't get a chance to show off how awesome Ryuu-chan is to anyone in that cold," he reasoned, sounding like an adult trying to placate a sulking child. He kissed Naruto on the cheek this time.

"But you know how much I love Ryuu-chan," Naruto tried again, looking down at his faded grey t-shirt and Sasuke could swear that Naruto was wearing a pout.

"Yes, and that's why when you come home for Golden Week, you can take it with you. That will be the perfect time to wear it anyway," Sasuke inferred, smirking at his ingenuity.

Naruto nodded, seemingly satisfied with Sasuke's logic. "Okay," he said finally, sniffing pathetically. Sasuke smiled ruffling Naruto's hair in adoration. Naruto looked up at him after a moment and chuckled, causing Sasuke to chuckle with him.

"You know I love you, right?" Naruto said, after another moment where they just stared at each other smiling giddily.

Sasuke nodded, drawing Naruto in his arms as his pulse quickened again. "And you know I love you back, right?" Sasuke whispered, leaning forward and pressing their foreheads together.

"Just...just keep telling me that, okay?" Naruto said, running a hand on Sasuke's back and then grabbing his bony shoulder in his hand and closing his eyes.

Sasuke lifted his head and pressed a kiss to the tip of Naruto's nose. "Anytime, Naruto,"

* * *

When the alarm went off at four in the morning, Sasuke groaned loudly while Naruto turned it off quietly and went to the adjoining bathroom to get dressed in silence. When he emerged, Sasuke was standing there in the process of pulling his jeans over his left leg. Naruto stared at him, confused.

"Sasuke, what the hell?" Naruto asked, his brow furrowing. Naruto had established that he would call a cab and fly out from Narita. Sasuke had insisted to at least drive Naruto to the airport but Naruto had put his foot down on the matter. Sasuke was angry unwilling to understand till Naruto had sat him down and told him very clearly that he didn't want the dark-haired man to see him off, because if Sasuke had, then Naruto was sure as hell going to be unable to leave for Hokkaido.

And now, here he was, getting his ass into a pair of Levi's while Naruto stared at him aghast. "I told you, you can't drive me to the airport," Naruto whined as he stared at Sasuke who was busy buttoning up his jeans.

"Yeah, I know because you won't want to let me go. I called for a taxi," Sasuke spoke in between buttoning his thick checkered shirt and hunting for his grey sweater.

"Why do you want to torture me?" Naruto asked, as he stepped closer and pulled Sasuke's face towards his just because Sasuke was too distracted with the process of hunting for his woolen socks.

Sasuke blinked at him in annoyance, extracting his face from Naruto's to hunt for the damned socks. They were the warmest pair of socks he owned and he needed them. "I am not torturing you, Naruto."

"Then why in the world are you getting dressed like it's the most obvious thing in the world?" Naruto almost hollered the words, halting Sasuke mid-motion where he was sliding one of the black socks on his foot.

Sasuke stared up at him and blinked like he had just realized Naruto was there. "To go with you to Hokkaido, of course." He shook his head and proceeded to put on the sock, the early winter morning cold making him shiver.

Naruto waited till Sasuke had put on both his socks. Then he marched up to Sasuke and shook him by the shoulder. " _Did you just realize what you said_?" he asked, his patience seriously thin as he stared at his lover like he was demented.

Sasuke grinned at him cheekily. "Yes Naruto. I am going with you to Hokkaido," with that, he pushed Naruto away and went to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Naruto ran an agitated hand through his hair and then rubbed his face vigorously. His heart was soaring with warmth and elation at Sasuke's actions and at the same time he was mad at Sasuke for this stunt.

 _Does he know this is going to be more difficult than a quiet hug and a kiss before I get into a taxi and drive off? How will my heart take it? How will his heart take it?_

He went towards his closet, opening it to remove his thick fur-lined coat and put it on as he heard Sasuke going about his business in the bathroom. He went over to his work bag and checked his ticket and other important papers, and then walked over to his bedside table to retrieve his wallet and watch. He snapped on the silver metal watch and was stuffing his wallet in his back pocket when Sasuke emerged from the bathroom all dressed and ready to leave.

"We have some time before the taxi arrives," Sasuke spoke, moving towards the closet no doubt to collect his own coat. "Do you want some coffee?" he asked, glancing at Naruto who was still watching him like a hawk.

" _We_ are not leaving. _I_ will get some coffee at the airport," Naruto said, his voice sounding hard and unyielding.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, buttoning up his coat and moving to his own bedside to pick up his wallet and watch. "Fine, coffee at the airport, it is."

"Sasuke why are you doing this?" Naruto asked, running a hand through his blond hair again.

Sasuke sighed and finally took a seat beside Naruto at the foot of the bed. "Is it wrong to want to see you off in Hokkaido?" he asked softly, his hand reaching out to grab Naruto's left.

"But it makes everything so much more difficult," Naruto said as he squeezed Sasuke's hand in his and gazed mournfully at his lover.

Sasuke smiled. "That doesn't change the fact that it gives me more time with you," Sasuke said, leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss against Naruto's cheek.

"When?" he asked and Sasuke knew what he was talking about.

"Five minutes after you booked your flight," Sasuke answered, his grin becoming more amused as Naruto's eyes widened in shock.

"That's what you were doing so religiously on your phone while I was accusing you of not being interested," he looked heavenwards in shock when Sasuke nodded and then he snorted. He should have known this was coming.

"And your packing and everything?" Naruto asked even though he knew it was a futile question.

Sasuke stood up and produced a small black plastic suitcase from his closet, rolling it towards Naruto who just shook his head. "I packed this after coming back from Okinawa, under the pretense of unpacking."

"You really are a sneaky bastard, you know that?" Naruto asked, continuing to sound pissed.

"But you love me, anyway," Sasuke said with a hint of cocksure in his voice that made Naruto smile.

"Damn right, I do." Naruto said, nodding in conviction and then he jabbed an elbow in Sasuke's ribs, causing the dark-haired man to grab the hurt area and scowl at Naruto.

When he saw the look Naruto wore on his face as he turned to demand an explanation, his annoyance melted immediately and was replaced by all the love he felt. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss against Naruto's lips, gasping softly when the blond haired man opened his mouth to deepen the kiss. They separated when the taxi honked.

"Are you ready to leave?" Sasuke asked, his left hand cradling Naruto's cheek, caressing slowly as he gazed into blue eyes.

Naruto nodded and turned to look at the wall of their bedroom, his mind blank, his heart beating painfully slowly in his chest. "I'll be back soon." He turned to Sasuke who was gazing at him with a small smile. "Will you join me all the way to Sapporo?"

Sasuke frowned, confused by the question since he was accompanying Naruto to the city. But then he smiled a second later and took Naruto's hand in between his, "Every step of the way, Naruto. Forever," with that, he dropped another kiss on Naruto's lips, grinning when the taxi honked again, then grabbed one of Naruto's suitcases with a hand and his small black one with the other and proceeded to drag them out of the door.

* * *

 ** _The End_**


End file.
